The present invention relates to a portable radio communication device such as a mobile phone, and in particular to arrangements for the storage of data therefor.
Mobile phones are becoming ever more advanced offering a growing range of sophisticated features and functionalities. For instance, as well as standard voice communications, mobile phones increasingly also allow for data communications such as SMS, and browser type applications. In Communicator type devices, mobile phones are being equipped with personal organiser software providing diaries, notes and address recording functions. Furthermore, videophones are now beginning to emerge.
In order to support these new and growing features, mobile phones are demanding more and more data storage capacity, i.e. memory space. Although developments in memory make up and design now allow for far more increased memory storage density and capacity than was previously possible, the advances in feature development outpaces memory development, with the net result being that in physical terms feature-rich mobile phones are required to be larger in size in order to accommodate the extra memory space necessary for supporting the additional functionalities. This dimensional expansion of mobile phones however is in direct conflict with the general trend in mobile phones design towards their miniaturisation.
Accordingly, and in one aspect the present invention provides a system comprising a portable radio communication device and a plurality of memory modules situated remote from and external of the portable radio communication device,
said portable radio communication device and each of the memory modules respectively including low power radio frequency means for respective low power radio frequency connections therebetween,
the portable radio communication device including data transfer means for at least one of read access or write access in respect of one or more of the memory modules,
said data transfer means being coupled to said respective low power radio frequency means and effecting said at least one of read or write accesses by respective low power radio frequency connections between the low power radio frequency means of the portable radio communication device and the low power radio frequency means of the memory modules.
By means of the invention, a portable radio communication device can store data on, and retrieve data from, any of a number of memory modules which are located away from the device itself and which are accessed by means of low power radio frequency links. Accordingly, the size and design of the portable radio communication device is not fettered by the requirement for xe2x80x98on-boardxe2x80x99 data storage means, thereby increasing the design freedom for the device and overall leading to a more compact device. Furthermore, the low power radio frequency link between the portable radio communication device and the memory module means that there needs to be no physical links (such as troublesome wires) between the two, thus making for a very convenient arrangement.